Tommy Vance

Tommy Vance
Tommy Vance on holiday, January 2005
Born	Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston (1940-07-11)11 July 1940 Eynsham, Oxfordshire, England
Died	6 March 2005(2005-03-06) (aged 64) Dartford, Kent, England
Cause of death	Stroke
Nationality	British
Other names	Rick West
Occupation	Radio host, presenter, disc jockey
Years active	1960 - 2004
Known for	Friday Rock Show
Television	Top of the Pops, Dumber and Dumber, The 11 O'Clock Show, The Nightfly and The Friday Rock Show (VH1), Voice acting
Spouse(s)	1. Fern (divorced) 2. Susan Hanson (divorced) 3. Stella 'Cookie' Bursa (divorced)
Children	Daniel Jessie

Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston, known professionally as Tommy Vance (11 July 1940 – 6 March 2005), was a British radio broadcaster, born in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. He was one of the first music broadcasters in the United Kingdom to champion hard rock and heavy metal in the early 1980s, providing the only national radio forum for both bands and fans. The Friday Rock Show that he hosted gave new bands airtime for their music and fans an opportunity to hear it. His radio show was a factor in the rise of the new wave of British heavy metal. He used a personal tag-line of "TV on the radio". His voice was heard by millions around the world announcing the Wembley Stadium acts at Live Aid in 1985.

Born as Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston, his father was an electronics engineer. His first job was at the Hyde Park Hotel as a trainee manager. He then left home at 16 to join the Merchant Navy as a caterer (discharged 1 October 1956), and began his radio career in the US under the name 'Rick West'. He took the name 'Tommy Vance' at the radio station KOL in Seattle from a DJ who had failed to turn up after the station had heavily promoted and paid for expensive jingles which were already recorded. He also spent time in Canada, where he married his first wife, Fern.

While at KOL, Vance was recruited by the Top 40 programming consultant Bill Drake, to join his team of "Boss Jocks" at the emerging West Coast KHJ radio in Los Angeles (aka Boss Radio). Vance held the evening airshift at KHJ for several months in late 1965. During this period, he abruptly returned to the UK after running into an unresolvable problem with the U.S. immigration authorities.

Upon his return to the UK, he joined Radio Caroline South (where he used Jack Costanzo's version of the "Naked City Theme" as his signature tune, subsequently working for Radio Luxembourg and the off-shore radio station Wonderful Radio London.